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Italians Equip AB 100 Yacht With 5,700 HP, Record-Breaking Speed, and Toy Garage

Whenever you think of a yacht, you think of luxury and maximum decadence. While most offer those exact traits, some yachts throw in a third factor, speed. This is the case for yacht builder and designer AB Yachts. The vessel to break speed boundaries for ships this size is known as the AB 100.
AB 100 Yacht 25 photos
Photo: AB Yachts
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Simple, short, and to the point, AB 100 could very well be the fastest yacht of its size. Not to mention its Italian roots in styling, design, architecture, and lifestyle. But hold on one sec, I may be getting a bit ahead of myself.

To understand the vessel, it should help to know a bit about the builder. AB Yachts is an Italian yacht yard from the Viareggio region of Italy. On the market since 1992 and finally becoming a part of Fipa Group in 2001, this team creates vessels with the sole purpose of being a ‘reference point’ in the world of pleasure yachting and boating.

That’s a bold aspiration considering the number of yachting yards out there, and the level of luxury they offer. However, this team is still going strong, and even recently launched and AB 100 variation named the Superfast, that offers an extra 4 knots (4.6 mph) on the already existing 56-knot (64.4-mph) top speed the AB 100 already showcases. It’s this 56-knot speed that attracts most owners to the 100.

AB 100 Yacht Deck
In order to achieve such a top speed, the engines could be considered the most important factor. So is hull design, but I'll get to that shortly. For the 100, AB decided to use not one, not two, but three MAN V12 engines that offer an output of 1,900 hp each. That's 5,700 hp propelling a vessel that comes in at 100 feet (30.05 m) in length. How is this possible?

Aside from just being equipped with massive engines, the 100 is also constructed from modern lightweight materials such as carbon fiber, aluminum, and others. I wouldn’t be surprised to see magnesium in the mix. After all, there’s wood, there’s carbon fiber, and a whole lot of leather. Lots and lots of leather. What, did you forget this team is Italian?

As for that hull design, every little aspect is geared towards speed and comfort. Each fin, each groove, even the aft deck and how it drags into water wide and flat as to offer stability, all of the 100 is aimed at speed and stability under that speed.

AB 100 Yacht Interior
One thing to note about the ship is that AB Yachts will work with you to bring to life the craft of your dreams. What does this mean? It means complete customization. If you have the bucks and decide to get yourself a 100, you’ll be invited to affect any aspect of the yacht, including compartmentalization, within functioning parameters of course.

Aboard the AB, four cabins for guests and two for crew is all the space that’s available. Remember, you’ll be flying around at speed of near 65 mph on water. Better hope your guests are some good friends, because a ship with this sort of speed can cause some trouble if you hit an on-coming wave just right, and no one likes a lawsuit.

Personally, the vessel that AB Yachts reveals in the images seems to offer the perfect balance between materials, spaces, and features. I haven’t the slightest clue if I were to change anything. Take the lounge behind the helm for instance. Wooden floors with warm LED lighting trim, massive windows for natural light, and soft fabrics invite you into a space with a warm but slightly neutral color palette.

AB 100 Yacht Exterior
This neutral/warm tone is carried out throughout the rest of the ship as well. From twin guest rooms to the owner’s loft, neutrality is ever-present. The spaces lacking this tone are exterior areas such as the beach club or alfresco lounge above. The beach club also hides a garage suitable for an array of toys or to be used as a deck suitable for a small party. Countless lounge pads are also present, including a forward-facing lounge with table and awning.

As for how much money you’ll need to get yourself and AB 100, that’s a bit difficult to say, as each one requires a whole lot of customization. However, you can buy a used ship from 2017 for around €7,900,000 ($9,306,555 at current exchange rates), with most dealers being open to counter offers. But that’s really a small price to pay for a leisure ship that’s able to reach record speeds.

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About the author: Cristian Curmei
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A bit of a nomad at heart (being born in Europe and raised in several places in the USA), Cristian is enamored with travel trailers, campers and bikes. He also tests and writes about urban means of transportation like scooters, mopeds and e-bikes (when he's not busy hosting our video stories and guides).
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